In view of the ongoing conflict between the military junta of Myanmar and the Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) India has ‘temporarily moved’ the staff from its consulate in the port city of Sittwe in the Rakhine province, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal announced on Friday. The announcement came a day after the Myanmar military lost control of a major commercial centre to an armed group in the Southeastern part of the country near Thai border.
“India has temporarily moved staff from its consulate in Sittwe to Yangon in view of the fighting in Rakhine state of Myanmar. Our consulate in Mandalay remains fully functional,” said Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirming the removal of the Indian officials from the strategically important location. Shifting of the Indian diplomats from Sittwe has added to the prevailing regional anxiety over the intensifying internal military conflict in Myanmar.
Earlier in the weak, the junta lost control of Myawaddy located near Myanmar-Thailand border which fell to the forces of the Karen National Union. Myawaddy with nearly 200,000 people is one of the major towns to have been captured by the rebel forces that are fighting to dislodge the military junta. The junta is besieged by a multi-pronged insurgency that is targeting its control over the country’s major commercial and political centres.
